P7.6M worth of shabu seized in Albay

By Mar S. Arguelles LEGAZPI CITY --- Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) seized on Saturday night (Dec 2) over a kilo of suspected shabu or crystal meth worth P7.6M during a drug buy-bust operation in Barangay Oro Site, here, a ranking PDEA official said Sunday. PDEA agents in a buy-bust operation collared Ismael Onsad alias Opaw who was in possession of a kilo of suspected shabu worth P6.9M while Angelo Ariraya was caught with 150 grams of shabu worth P750,000. Both are residents of Purok 2 in Barangay Oro Site here where the buy-bust operation was conducted, PDEA Regional Director Christian Frivaldo reported. Frivaldo said the suspects were among the high-value targets that the PDEA operatives had been casing since October 10, this year. The PDEA team led by agent Enrique Lucero conducted the operation inside the suspects’ residence at about 9:45 p.m. Saturday where the suspected illegal drugs were seized. The suspects were considered as major drug suppliers operating in Albay. According to Frivaldo, an earlier drug buy-bust operation was conducted in October where PDEA agents nabbed Amerodin Cadayon, alias Oding, who also resided in Barangay Oro Site. Confiscated from him were 230 grams of the illegal crystal meth with a street value of P1.3 million. The police believe that the three are members of a syndicate supplying shabu in the city and province. Frivaldo said “our operations are focused on the supply reduction as we continue to pursue and arrest major drug suppliers.” “While we are putting more pressure on reducing the drug supply, we urge the various local government drug enforcers to take the necessary measure to help bring down the demand for drugs,” Frivaldo said. The two latest suspects are temporarily under the custody of PDEA detention facilities here while appropriate charges are being prepared. Also earlier, joint PDEA operatives from Bicol and Region 4A nabbed three illegal drug suppliers in a buy-bust operation conducted at about 2:30 p.m. Friday along E. Aguinaldo Highway in Barangay Anabu II, Imus Cavite. Arrested were Ronald Paredes 39, Salvador Durana, 24, and Jonathan Lara, 44. Seized from the suspects were 3 knot-tied plastic bags containing shabu weighing 300 grams worth P1.5M. The suspects where pin-pointed as the sources of shabu by Marilex Arbuis who was arrested together with her companion Ceasar Galiza in a buy-bust operation last Nov. 23, 2017, at the CBD Bus Terminal in Naga City. Frivaldo in an interview disclosed that illegal drugs (mostly shabu) seized in various buy-bust operations in Bicol during the period October to December last year had totaled 4,615.8982 grams with an estimated total amount of P23M.